Device to prevent plant-pots from tipping over



R.. HASTINGS.

DEVICE T0 PREVENT PLANT POTS FROM TIPPING OVER.

' 4 APPLT'CATJON FILED FEB. 4. 1919 .v 1',357,7'77.I Patented Nov.2,1920. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Invert or @una mi?,

R. HASTINGS.

, DEVICE T0 PREVENT PLANT POTS FROM TIPPING OVER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 4. i919.

Patented Nov. 2,1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

if I

hr-fhg RUSSELL HASTINGS, OF BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS.

DEVICE TO PREVENT PLANT-POTS FROM TIPPING OVER.

y Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2, 1920.

Application led February 4, 1919. Serial No. 274,973.

To all whom @'15 may concern.'

Be it known that I, RUssELL HAs'rrNcs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Brookline, county of Norfolk, and State of Massachusetts,have invented an Improvement in Devices to Prevent Plant- Pots fromTipping Over, of which the following description, in connection with theaccompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on thedrawings representing like parts.

The invention to be hereinafter described relates to devices forpreventing plant pots and other bodies from tipping over on theirsupports.

Flower pots and other bodies are frequently placed on shelves, railings,window sills and other places where they are liable to be tipped overaccidentally, with consequent injury to the plants or to the pots or tothings adjacent thereto.

The aim and purpose of the present invention, therefore, is to provide asimple. cheap andefficient device to connect plant pots and other bodiesto their supports and prevent them from tipping over.

The character `of the invention will be best understood by reference'toA the following description of one good form thereof shown intheaccompanying' drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a view of a plant pot andits saucer provided'with a device embodying the invention to connect thesame with the support therefor and prevent the pot from tipping over;`

Fig. 2 on an enlarged scale is a horizontal section through the potshowing the `relation of the pot and device when indifferent positionsof relative adjustment;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2; and

Figs.A l and 5 on an enlarged scale are vertical sectional details oftheI locking device in releasing and locking relation to the potrespectivel Referring tothe drawings, 1 designates a plant pot having abase 3 with a drain hole 5 therefor, the pot being provided with asaucer 7 mounted on a. support, in the presentinstance, in the form of ashelf 9. The device for preventing the pot from tipping over, in thepresent instance of the invention, comprises an attaching member 1.1'having a threaded portion 13, a smooth shank; 15, and a laterallyprojecting hook part or head 17. The threaded portion 13 is adapted tobe screwed into the shelf or support to secure the attaching member infixed relation with respect thereto. The smooth shank 15 is adapted toproject through a sleeve or bushing 19 fast in a bore 1n the bottom ofthe saucer, and projecting preferably a substantial distance above thebottom to prevent leakage of water between said shank and bushing. Theattaching member should be screwed into the support until the hook 17 issubstantially on the level of the inner face of the base of the pot, asmore fully hereinafter described. The hook of the attaching membershould be of a length such that it may readily enter the drain hole ofthe pot, as will be noted in Fig. 3.

Suitable means may be provided to maintain the pot in a position suchthat 'l he attaching member will always be close to one side of thedrain hole 5. To accomplish this, in the present instance of theinvention, a pin or member 21v is provided having a shank 23threadedinto the bottom ofY the saucer, and a smooth portion projecting asubstantial distance above the bottom for entrance into the drain holeof the pot at a point preferably diametrically opposed to the attachingmember 11. j

In use, the attaching'meniber 1l and the pin21 are applied to the bottomof the saucer with a spacing such that they lmay readily enter the drainhole and preferably are located on opposite sides of the center of thebottom of the saucer7 and consequently are eccentric with respect to thesaucer." Then the saucer is given a rota- Y'tive adjustment about thea-Xis of the attaching member to bring the 'upper end of in the bottom vthe pin 2l at the end of the hook 17, as,v

will be noted in Fig. and in dotted lines in Fig. 2. Then the pot isplaced in the saucer with the drain hole over the attaching member andthe pin, so that when the pot is lowered to the bottom 'of the saucer,Y

thereby moving thepin from its position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2to its position shown in full lines in said ligure, and thereby movingthe pot and saucer from their positions shown in dotted lines to theirpositions shown in full liuesfinFigQ 2.V In the course of thisadjustment, the drain opening will bermovedl from the pof sition inregistration with the hook 17 as shown in dottedlines inJiig; 2 toaposition, out of registration with said hoolnmas,y

shown in full lines in Fig. 2. As a, result, a portion of the base ofthe pot will be brought beneath the hook ofthe atta-ching member asindicated in Fig. 5, and the hook will be inV a position to engage theinner face of` thebase of the pot, and

thereby connect the pot and, saucer with their support, and prevent thepot from tipping over.

In some instances Vit may be desirable to providemeans to strengthen theconnection of. the: attaching. member andv pin -with. the saucer. Thismeans, inthe present: instance ofy theinvention, comprises a spiderplate having a central portion 27 and radial legs 29 projecting towardthe periphery of the saucer. The bushing 19- may be entered 'through aholjein'the central portion ofthe spider, and theiend 3() ofthe bushingmay then be upset on the outer. face of, the c entral portion of thespider.. The. bushing maj7 also have a collar 3l to engage the upperface of the bottomy of: the saucer. Thus, the upset end-'and thecollar'` of the bushing will serve to confine the spider against thebottom oft' theL saucer and se-V curely hold the bushingin position. The

Y pin 21- may also'be entered through a hole 17. To accomplish this, inthe .presentiiif stance of the'invention, one ofthelegs of thespidermay.V be made sufficiently ylongirto project; beyond thev saucer; and?present an end havingJa nubi` 37V extruded upwardly therefrom andadapted; to engage the roundedhead of4 af tackYllin the support. Thisnub-Y may. readilyslip over: the head oftheA tack: when it is desired.to giveY the pot andi saucer arotative adjustment torre-Y'leasethe-same. Y

Itwvilll benoted that; the pot mayk bero- VVtagtively adjusted@about avertical aXispassmiY ingy through the center of..` its. drain hole Ywithout affecting the-lockingrelationofthe attachingl member 2 with thepot, and Vthus the pot; may be readily`positioned-'to-ipresentYrvarious, sides ofi the plant: tothe lightasJdesired. Y l Y While the device has been illustrated herein in itsuse in, preventing plant pots from tipping over, Vit will be understood.that it isnot restricted thereto, but on the contrary it may be appliedto various other containersA and bodies.

It will be understood that the inventionV is notv limited to, thespecific Vembodiment shown, and that various deviations may be madetherefrom without departing from the spirit andi scope of@ the appendedclaims.

What is claimed is l. The combination with a 'plant' pot and ,A

its saucer, of a device to hold the same toa support comprising anlattaching member having a. screw Vportion adapted` to; be threadedinto'the support, al shank to project through the saucer up tlirouglrthe usual drain hole in the basey of the pot, and a hook at the upperendf of: said member; and a pin secured to said' saucerhaving a portionto project up lthrough said hole to hold said shank close to onesideofsaid hole, said hook shank being located eccentrically of saidusaucerthat the latter andl the pot may. turn on said shank to bring a portionofthe inner faceoff the pot base beneath saidhook.

2. The combination'with a plant potv and its saucer, of a pair of pinsadapted to project upA from. the saucer into=thedrain hole inthe baseofthe pot at opposite sides: of said hole, one of said:y pins having.v aportion projecting beneath said! saucervlfonconnec- Y Ation with a;support andsa head1 to overlie a part of theiinner face of the potbaseonroj tative adjustment? ofi said potand# saucera Vjriredetermined amountlaboutfthe axis of the pin forconnectionrwith the support.V Y

3. The combination with a plantfpotV and its saucer, of; a bushing and apin secured to said saucer and adapted. tol project. up

into the drain liol`e=in the base off-the pot, and a member projectingthrough said bushing having a screw portionafor connectionwitlia'fsupportI and alieadtooverlie a partl ofthe inner face ofthepotfbaseonrotative adjustment; of; said;` pot andi saucer abouttheaxis of.' saidmember.Y

ll. A device for preventing' bodies from tipping over on theirsupports,.comprising,

Ya pairA ,ofI members adaptedfor insertion into a base hole of a body,Vand a` base plate connectedy to said members for.l application to thebase ofthe body,one off` said members having a' part toYlock withsaid'body and provision forV connecting the memberwith a; support, thatthe baseA platefmay. be rota- Y tively adjusted to produce'finterlocking re-f Vlat1or'i,be tween the-body and said? locking .memberi51. Ardevice for vpreventingbodiesY from tipping over-ontheir supports,comprising, a locking member adaptedfor insertion into abasehole of thebodyfand formed tolock with said body on relative rotative adjustment ofsaid locking member and body, and means to indicate the extent of suchadjustment.

6. In combination with a support and a body member having a base with ahole therein, means for securing said body member to said support,comprising a headed member secured to said support and positioned toproject into said hole, and a pin projecting into said hole, said pinarranged to move said body member to bring a portion of the sameadjacent said hole into locking engagement With said head.

7. In combination With a support and a body member having a base with ahole therein, means for securing said body member to said support,comprising a headed member secured to said support and positioned toproject into said hole, and a pin projecting into said hole, said pinarranged to move said body member to bring a portion of the sameadjacent said hole into locking engagement with said head, said pinarranged to retain said body member in locking engagement with said headirrespective of the rotation of said body member upon its support.

8. In combination with a support and a body member having a base with ahole therein, means for securing said body member to said support,comprising a member mounted upon said support to project into said holeand having a laterally projecting hook, and means engaging a Wall formedby said hole to move said body member to a position in which saidlaterally projecting hook loclringly engages said base'.

9. The combination with a plant pot having a base With a central drainhole therein, a support for said pot, and means for securing said pot tosaid support, comprising a pin proj eeting from said support into saidcentral hole, said pin provided with a laterally projecting hookpositioned to engage an inner face of said base adjacent said hole, anda second pin projecting into said hole and arranged to prevent said` potfrom being moved bodily suiiiciently to disengage said hook from theinner face of said base.

l0. The combination with a plant pot having a saucer, means for securingsaid pot to a support, comprising a pin secured to said support andprojecting therefrom through an eccentric hole in said saucer into thecentral drain hole of said pot, said pin having a laterally projectinghead upon the end thereoiz Within said pot positioned to lockinglyengage the inner :tace of said pot adjacent said hole, said hea-darranged to have said pot moved into locking engagement therewith byrotating said saucer above its eccentric, pin receiving opening.

In testimony whereof, I have signed'my name to this specication.

RUSSELL HASTINGS.

